. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/GEN/125 
25 January 2012 
 (12-0486) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION 
 
  The following information was provided by the Codex Alimentarius Commission at the 
TBT Committee meeting of 10-11 November 2011. 
 
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 I. CODEX SESSIONS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE (JUNE 
2011) 
(a) Codex Alimentarius Commission ( Geneva, Switzerland, 4-9 July 2011); 
(b) Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems 
(Cairns, Australia, 17-21 October 2011). 
In particular, the TBT Committee may wish to note the following: 
1. The 34
th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, among others: 
(a) adopted 31 new or revised Codex standards or  related texts and many new or revised 
provisions for additives and MRLs for pesticides (see Appendix I ), and approved a 
number of new work proposals (see Appendix II ); 
(b) considered the implementation of the Stra tegic Plan 2008-2013 and was informed of 
the preparation of the Strategic Plan  2014-2018 in the Executive Committee;  
(c) Made several recommendations to respond  to the Codex Trust Fund Mid-term 
Review;  
(d) Elected as Chairperson  Mr Sanjay Dave (India), as Vice-Chairpersons  Mr Samuel 
Godefroy (Canada), Mrs Awilo Ochieng Pern et (Switzerland), and Professor Samuel 
Sefa Dedeh (Ghana); as Members of the Executive Committee elected on a 
geographical basis : Australia, China, France, Jamaica, Kenya, Tunisia, and United 
States of America; and appointed as regional Coordinators : Cameroon (Africa), 
Japan (Asia), Poland (Europe), Costa Ri ca (Latin America and the Caribbean), 
Lebanon (Near East), Papua New Guinea (North America and South-West Pacific)  
2. The full report, including the lists of standards and related texts adopted at the meeting is 
available at: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/  and at 
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/ download/report/767/REP11_CACe.pdf  G/TBT/GEN/125 
Page 2  
 
   
3. The 19
th Session of the Codex Committee on F ood Import and Export Inspection and 
Certification Systems, among others:  
(a) Progressed its work on the development of the Principles and guidelines for national 
food control system; the Committee forwarded the Introduction and Section 1 to 3 
were forwarded to the 35th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for 
adoption as a draft and agreed to redraft Section 4 “Framework for the Design and 
Implementation of National Food Control Syst em”. It is expected that the document 
could be finalised by its 20th Session, tentatively scheduled on 18-22 February 2013; 
(b) Agreed that new work on attestation was not needed at present; and 
(c) Agreed to prepare discussion papers on: (i ) burden of multiple questionnaires directed 
at exporting countries; (ii) monitoring regulatory performance of national food 
control system; and (iii) further Codex gui dance on food safety emergencies, for 
consideration at its 20th Session. 
II. FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS  
(a) Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses  (Bad Soden am 
Taunus, Germany, 14-18 November 2011) 
(b) Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (Miami, United States of America, 5-9 
December 2011) 
(c) Executive Committee of the Codex Alimenta rius Commission (7-10 February 2012) 
(d) Task Force on Animal Feeding (Bern, Switzerland, 20-24 February 2012) 
4. The Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses  will consider 
several items related to the establishment of Nutr ient Reference Values for Labelling Purposes, the 
revision of the General Principles for the Addition of Essential Nutrients to Foods , the revision of the 
Guidelines on Formulated Supplementary Foods for Older Infants and Young Children,  and the 
revision of the Standard for Processed Cereal-Based Foods for Infants and Young Children  to 
Include a New Part B for Underweight Children. 
5. The Executive Committee  will consider in particular the critical review and monitoring of 
standard development;  the development of the Strategic Plan 2014-2019; financial and budgetary 
matters;  relations between  Codex and other international organi zations; and the updated report of the 
FAO/WHO Project and Trust Fund for Enhanced Participation in Codex.  
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